Citing a “fundamental difference of opinion,” actress Scarlett Johansson stepped down as ambassador for the humanitarian group Oxfam. Johansson had been criticized by the group and others for her association with SodaStream, an Israeli company with a factory in a settlement in the Palestinian West Bank. Oxfam opposes trade from settlements, considered illegal under international law. A …
The mayor who led New Orleans during the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe will begin a trial for a corruption scandal during his last days in office. Ray Nagin was indicted a year ago on charges he accepted free trips and more than $200,000 in bribes from contractors in exchange for helping them secure lucrative city contracts. The …
Three years ago today, the Egyptian people overthrew their dictator of 30 years, Hosni Mubarak. Bombings yesterday and clashes today marked this anniversary in a state currently under police rule, following the ouster (some would say coup) of President Mohammed Morsi. Even if Egypt’s future seems uncertain now, the revolution was a heroic undertaking by …
An AP poll shows that while 58 percent of Americans finds Obama “very likeable,” less than a third consider him to be an above-average president. After his first inauguration, nearly two-thirds of Americans predicted Obama would be an “outstanding leader.” The president’s numbers took a hit because of persistent unemployment, controversy over his decisiveness, honesty …
At least two people died in clashes between protesters and police in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev on Wednesday. Medics on the scene said the deaths were caused by bullet wounds, although it is unclear whether they were rubber or real bullets. The past two months have seen countless clashes in the Ukraine as the …
For the third day in a row, thousands of protestors took to the streets of Bangkok, rallying against upcoming elections. The elections were called in hopes of diffusing anti-government protestors, but both opposition parties have refused to take part. One protestor was shot and injured Wednesday morning and a small explosion took place outside of …
Three U.S. officials familiar with the matter say that President Obama is likely to cosign changes to the way the NSA and other government agencies collect phone information for possible future surveillance of Americans. The changes are not yet set in stone and would mainly effect Section 215 of the Patriot Act. Widely controversial, the law …
